Where Twitter CEO Elon Musk It took over the social media platform, and users were flocking to it alternatives Such as mastodon To see if they can be suitable alternatives to Twitter.
Users have been staying away for a variety of reasons, such as Twitter’s subscription service Blue is available for $8 / £7 / AU$9 (Opens in a new tab) And introducing Blue Ticks to subscribers, before they get kicked out after a few days, and an increasing number of bugs afflicting users, such as app crashes, and images refusing to load, which I’ve been experiencing lately.
Beehive (Opens in a new tab) Recently described as another alternative, it looks like a cleaner version of the official Mastodon app, and comes with some nice extra features, like the ability to add music to your profile. However, there is just something about the Mastodon community that keeps bringing me back to that social media platform and trying out the different third party apps the developers are working on to make it more user friendly.
However, while Mastodon is more welcoming to new users, there are still three features that need to be done quickly to be the successor to Twitter, before it is overtaken by another platform like Hive.
1. Redesign and rename “Servers”.
While it has become easier to login and register on a Mastodon server, using the term ‘Server’, Mastodon runs the risk of alienating a group of new users, as it can seem too ‘technical’ or complicated.
Alternatively, the team could call them “Communities” and might have new users automatically join one of them so they can try out the service. The feed in this “community” can then show new accounts how to use Mastodon, while also allowing existing users to share tips and advice with newcomers.
Users want to communicate with each other effortlessly, and Mastodon is still very demanding of that – and that needs to change quickly.
2. Add some color and shine
Currently, Mastodon’s design is too sharp, too angular, and too dark. If you switch to dark mode in the official app, it’s almost a carbon copy of Twitter, especially with the icons.
I want to see ways to customize the user experience in Mastodon by allowing users to change fonts and colors, similar to the way Bebo, a social platform from 2008, lets you.
This would give Mastodon more personality, as users can design their own profiles and share them with others. It would also be a nice break from the dull Twitter profiles, which all look the same.
3. Make it fun
We not only use these apps to keep in touch with family and friends but also to have fun.
Mastodon lacks this at the moment, and for young people this can be a problem. For example, if the images in a post fail to load (which I’ve noticed happens quite frequently), the Mastodon ends up looking rather plain and boring, which can turn a lot of people off.
Let’s see some new features to better distinguish them from TwitterAnd the disagreement and Hive, like the ability to edit posts or ways to choose different fonts and colors to really make what you’re sharing stand out.
Away Twitter SpacesThere isn’t much of a difference between Twitter and Mastodon once you get past the login screen, and that needs to change to appeal to a group of new users tired of Musk’s near-daily (and increasingly chaotic) Twitter ads.